Home /
Celebrating Goa with its traditional Bebinca & Paul John expressions

Celebrating Goa with its traditional Bebinca & Paul John expressions

Bebinca is a Goan dessert which goes through a traditional process of cooking. Paul John Single Malt is a single malt whisky made in Goa, which goes through the traditional whisky making process. Here’s what happens when these two get together.

Bebinca – Bebinca is a traditional Goan dessert, and its origins date back to the Portuguese, and even the Malaysians. It is made with plain flour, butter, egg yolk and coconut milk. Though the ingredients seem simple enough, it has an elaborate, time-consuming method of preparation. The soft yet firm texture of the dessert makes it a snack or a dessert, however you prefer eating it.

Paul John Single Malt Whisky – Like, Bebinca, Paul John Indian Single Malt whiskies are also authentically Goan. Crafted in this coastal state of India, our Single Malts are made the traditional way. They are made with passion, using simple ingredients such as barley, water, yeast, and then matured in American oak. Paul John whiskies are considered a true delight with a lot of character. The intensity on the tasting notes make it one of world’s most celebrated whiskies.

Pairing of the two beauties: It seemed only natural for us to pair these two true treats from Goa.

Paul John Brilliance & Bebinca – Brilliance is a smooth, sleek and easy-to-drink whisky. Its subtle characters make it an enjoyable drink for any occasion. The key notes include vanilla and honey, with a slight hint of oranges and tropical fruits. Bebinca is oily and rich. But perfectly complements the subtle notes of Paul John Brilliance. The whole experience is filled with surprising contrasts and the mystery makes you wonder where the richness is coming from! This amazing dessert does full justice to the smooth whisky and your palate will love the flavours.

Paul John Edited & Bebinca – Edited is perhaps the smoothest peated whisky available. It is subtle in nature with its smooth peatiness retaining all the fruity characters of Brilliance. Key notes from Edited include mocha, wood spices, liquorice and some vital Indian spices. Edited acts as a palate cleanser for the the rich coconut milk and Ghee from Bebinca. The creaminess of the dessert is washed down nicely with a spice note from Edited. The peat still lingers in the mouth but the buttery nature may seem to have held up awaiting to say ‘we meet again’.

Paul John Bold & Bebinca – Bold comes with an assertive peat to complement the lovely sweetness. It is known for its spicy character, reminding you of the ceremonial traditions in an Indian household. The lentils, spices and wood are reminiscent of a big, and boisterous Indian wedding. Or, even the opening ceremony of a big Bollywood film, with fragrant incense sticks lit everywhere and coconuts being split open. Bebinca has the exuberance that is intrinsic to big Indian celebrations. It is nothing short of a carnival, rejuvenating all your senses, taking you to an enchanted moment. And that is why it makes for a great pairing with Paul John Bold.

Paul John Select Cask Classic & Bebinca – You may have heard of some heavyweight battles – Ali vs Fraser, Aus vs Eng at the Ashes, or even arch rivals Eng vs Wales in Rugby. The combination of Bebinca and Classic is something like these heavyweight battles. Classic does not come with a hint of vanilla and honey. It delivers a lot of vanilla and honey. It does not come with a hint of tropical fruits. It is the epitome of tropical paradise. Bebinca, as we already know, is a heavy-weight, and when the creamy, floury, buttery nature of the dessert interacts with the intense Select Cask Classic there is an explosion in your mouth, which is full of nature’s goodness. The high ABV % helps the cleansing process post the explosion. So your mouth goes through a big event and then there is this amazing auto clean-up process after that. (Warning: This combination can be highly addictive.)

Paul John Select Cask Peated & Bebinca – This is yet another meeting of two heavyweights but with a twist. This pairing will remind you of the Rocky Balboa films where Rocky comes out with a surprise to prove you wrong and win the battle and the opponents love him for the effort too. Peated as the name suggest has a good amount of peatiness, not to be confused with smokiness. The good sweet nature of the whisky does not allow the peat to become smoke. Peat, complemented with an intense character, is by itself a perfect find. And when confronted by the rich character of Bebinca, the peatiness acquires a new beauty. When you first eat the dessert the palate is most satisfied but then the Select Cask Peated turns up and says ”Hey what about me?”. So the combination turns out to be one of those experiences where two heavyweights battle and walk away with a hand shake at the end.

You must have heard of pairing Chicken Xacuti with some local Goan toddy or even Feni cocktails on the beaches of Goa. Bebinca and Paul John Single Malt whiskies have the potential for being just as great a pairing. If you haven’t explored it yet, do not miss out on this golden combination.

Note: If you are feeling adventurous, Bebinca glazed with one of the above whiskies, and topped with Coconut Sorbet may just leave you speechless.